


Stars Will Shine on You (Hang On for the Ride)

by CycloneRachel



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: (between 4 and 5 specifically), Angst with a Happy Ending, Apologies, Between Seasons/Series, Friendship, Gen, Mentioned Querl Dox, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 07:30:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20524250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CycloneRachel/pseuds/CycloneRachel
Summary: Or, Winn is on the receiving end of a "message in a bottle"- and finds surprisingly helpful advice contained within.





	Stars Will Shine on You (Hang On for the Ride)

**Author's Note:**

> so I wrote this a couple weeks ago (around the same time as the Lena + Jack nanites fic) and waited to post it because I guess I wanted to have something extra to post during a week I didn't feel inspired? and this is that week, lol.
> 
> title comes from "Turbulence" by Bowling for Soup

He’s sitting in his lab- not his, really, the one he’s borrowing- on a day when he has nothing to do, when he thinks of him.

(a forced vacation, truly, but Imra tells him he’s not getting enough sleep and that’s going to be a detriment to his progress- he needs to relax, there are other Legionnaires who can pick up where he left off until he’s ready to come back. And for now, Winn takes this opportunity, because if he’s being honest with himself, he did need a break)

Nevertheless, he’s just sitting there, looking at the pages of notes on the tables, the unfinished projects, the equipment he’s starting to figure out… and he knows he’s going to have to give it all back one day, whenever he’s allowed to get up off his ass again and finish this goddamn cure, so he can save the AIs and beat Brainiac at his own game. But until then…

_I miss Brainy._

He does. Brainy isn’t here, in person, but he’s everywhere in this room. Winn can’t go anywhere without being reminded of him- whether it’s going places in the Legion ship where he and Brainy interacted, or seeing his notes and inventions, or even looking at his Legion ring. It’s even a challenge to look at Brainiac and not call him by his relative’s nickname- even though, of course, one withering glare scares him into correcting that in his mind.

It all bears down on him until he can’t take it anymore, which is when he finally pays Imra a visit.

“Hey.” He says, giving her a tired smile. “I… have a confession to make. It’s not anything embarrassing, it’s just…”

She returns his smile, gently taking his hand as he sits down in her room, in a chair beside her bed. She’s been one of the people who’s helped him to get adjusted most, in his time here, and while he knows she’s probably obligated to do so, he still appreciates her more than he thought possible. That, and she’s also really good at putting him at ease, which he’s very glad for now.

“What is it?”

“I’m just… I miss the past. My friends, mostly. And, also… I miss Brainy.”

“You do.” Imra says, smile still on her face, even though she’s trying to hide it.

“Yeah.” Winn tells her. “Don’t get me wrong, I love being here- this is my dream job, honestly- but sometimes I just feel overwhelmed. And when I do, I just kinda think of him, and what he would do, and I can’t help but think that… that he would do everything so much better than I am right now.”

“Oh.”

“Wait, why are you smiling? I’m telling the truth here, this isn’t a joke.”

“I know.” She answers. “And I’m sorry. It’s… well, when he was discussing his choice with us, he thought you would be mad at him. For making you leave your friends, and your family.”

“For me, those terms overlap almost exactly.” Winn says. “But… I guess I was, at first. How can I be now, though? Everything’s so bright, and so beautiful, and even though there’s so much I miss in the past, war aside, I kind of wish I could live here forever.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Because you want me here?”

“Yes, Winn.” Imra answers. “Although we’ll also miss you, if you decide to return to your own time- though, to keep the timeline intact, you will have to at some point.”

“Right.” Winn says. “Thanks for reminding me.”

She nods, and squeezes his hand.

“But, hey, while you’re here…” she starts. “How about I show you something you’ll probably want to see right about now?”

Winn stares at her, mind going to places he doesn’t want to admit.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ll see.” She says, and gently pulls him up with her. “Come on.”

He follows, albeit uncertain, to a part of the Legion ship that reminds him of the conference room in the DEO- and though his heart aches just a little bit at that, remembering the last time he was in that room, he still sits down with her, watches as she takes out what looks like a futuristic flash drive, putting it into the device on the wall and messing with the device until she finally sits down beside him.

And right after she does, Winn’s breath is taken away for a moment- because there, on the screen, is Brainy.

Or rather, it seems like it’s Brainy from over a year ago, when he gave him the mission- his image inducer is off, and his hair is the same length as it was back then. But he looks exhausted, cheeks looking sunken-in like when they first met, much of his face shaded purple, hair appearing stringy and unwashed.

“Hello, Winslow.” He says, trying to smile on his behalf. “By the time you see this, you will already have taken my place in the thirty-first century. Your future, my present day, either is applicable. The point is, when you watch this, you may be discouraged. You may have not found your place here. You may be on the brink of defeat, against Brainiac and his robots. Or you may never watch this, and may be dead. I am sorry to say that the last one is more probable than either of us want it to be. But if you are alive, first of all, congratulations. I hope you are happy, and in good health.

Second, however, I wish to say that I’m sorry. I realized too late just how remarkable you are, how integral to everything going on at the DEO, and how good of a friend you are to everyone you know. I was callous and unfair, and judged you too much when I should not have. I hope you can forgive me for how I acted under stress. I should have realized that you acted under that same stress, and when we meet again, I hope to say all of this in person. But again, that is not the primary point of this message.

What I truly want to say is that… first of all, I am not experienced at giving speeches, so I studied Supergirl herself in an attempt to find the best words to give to you. And what I have gathered is that you, Winslow Schott, junior, are a truly good person. There are not many of those in the world, or the universe, but you are one. You will be the one bearing your name that the future remembers- not your father. It is easy, for us, to feel hopeless. To lose yourself, when all people know you for is your family’s legacy. But you are not him. You are who you were meant to be- a brilliant man, far more intelligent than the one-point-four-two level intellect I gave you credit for being. An inspiring man, someone who is strong and capable, and your spirit is one of light, and life, and hope. You are a hero. I believe that you can fight back against my ancestor, just as you did when you defeated Indigo, otherwise known as Brainiac 8. In a moment of crisis, you will come to anyone’s aid. You will see the faces of those you love again. You will see me again, even though your feelings on me may not be as positive as those for Kara, or Alex, or James or J’onn or Lena, or your mother. But I also need you to fight back, and remember all of this. I need you to believe in yourself, and to hope. After all, the future needs heroes. It needs leaders. It needs the whole Legion… but most importantly, it needs you.”

The video clicks off, and Imra pulls Winn into a hug.

“Thanks.” He says, voice distant.

“For the record, I agree with him.” She answers. “And so far, I think you’re doing a great job.”

“You do?”

“Yeah.” She answers. “I know you probably want to rest a little bit more. So, whenever you’re ready…”

“I’m ready now.” Winn says, and both of them leave the room, as Winn takes one last look at Brainy’s face.

_I’m fighting for you,_ he thinks. _I hope I don’t let you down._

He can’t.

He won’t.

And he still misses him.

But now, at least, he has some closure, for everything that happened the last time they saw each other.

And if his situation with his family was any indication, closure could go a long way towards progress.


End file.
